WMFL-AM
'''WMFL-AM (980 kHz), known on-air as "NewsRadio 980 WMFL", is a radio station in South Florida, owned by WMFL Corporation. It's studios are located in midtown Miami & it's transmitters are located in Hialeah, FL. WMFL-AM is known for broadcasting an all-news radio format, which the station has carried continuously since 1962 History The station 1st went on the air in 1924 on 950 kHz as WSFN. It moved to 860 kHz sometime around 1925 & to 600 around 1926, settling on 1180 around 1927. It was bought by WMFL Company (later WMFL Corporation) in 1929 & by 1930 had adopted it's present callsign (named after WMFL-TV's M'iami/'F't. '''L'auderdale). It changed it's frequency from 1180 to 1010 on March 29, 1936 as part of the NARBA. On Monday September 15 2008, 1010 News changed their frequencies, from 1010 to 980. And because of that, the station changed their branding from "1010 News" to "980 News". On Friday January 16 2009, 980 News changed their branding to "NewsRadio 980 WMFL". On Monday November 9 2009, WMFL started simulcasted it's programming on WSFA 103.5 FM as "All-News 103.5 WSFA" "All News, 24/7" On May 10 1962, after weeks of speculation, WMFL-AM changed it's format radically. The station became one of the 1st all-news stations in the United States, going with the format around the clock. Other stations may have also preceded WMFL-AM in this format. WMFL-AM immediately established a template for their format, with an easily-indentifiable, distinctive teletype sound effect playing in the background (some other stations later dropped this, but WMFL-AM has kept it) & the slogans, "All News, 24/7", "The Newswatch Doesn't Stop" & "You give us 20 minutes, we'll give you the world". The latter tagline was a reference to WMFL-AM's format clock, which segments every 20 minutes. For a time in the late 1970s, WMFL-AM had a 3rd slogan, "South Florida wants to know & we have it". The format has remained unchanged, save for minor tweaks, over the years. Currently, WMFL-AM regularly programs traffic reports from the "WMFL NewsChannel 6 TrafficWatch HD" Team (powered by Beat the Traffic) every 10 minutes on the "2's" (6 times an hour), sports updates every quarter-hour (2 times an hour, @ :15 & :45), weather reports from the "WMFL NewsChannel 6 SkyWatch HD Weather" Team as much as 6 times an hour, entertainment news once an hour (@ :38) & business news 2 times an hour (@ :26 & :56). When breaking news warrants, WMFL-AM will break format to provide continuous coverage of any event Influence WMFL-AM's switch to all-news was initially derided as a poor programming choice. Several years earlier, Tijuana, Mexico-based border blaster, XTMX programmed an English-language all-news format, which was unsuccessful, as was also the case with Chicago station WCIL. As a result, many in the radio industry predicted a quick demise for WMFL-AM. However, WMFL Corporation supported the format & WMFL-AM eventually prospered with it. WMFL Corporation made similar format changes @ 2 other stations: WPHY in Philadelphia, in September 1963 & KLAN in Los Angeles, in March 1965. Together, WMFL-AM, KLAN & WPHY served as the prototype all-news stations & all 3 succeeded in attracting both listeners & advertising revenue over the years. WMFL-AM was the 1st broadcaster to make an attempt to mimic WMFL Corporation's all-news formula. 3 of WMFL Corporation's other O&O AM stations also adopted the format. With this move, WMFL-owned WPYN in Philadelphia & KLCA in Los Angeles competed directly against WPHY & KLAN, respectively, with varying results. In 1975, WMFL Radio tried an all-news approach themselves with it's '''News & Information Service radio network, but the service shut down after only 2 years of operation. And, in the mid-1970s WMFL Corporation's 2nd Chicago station, WCIA, carried the format part-time while competing against WMFL-owned, all-news WBMA. WCIA was not successful & WMFL Corporation tried again after selling WCIA in 1985 & acquiring WCHI in 1988, converting WCHI into a full-time news outlet with mixed results WMFL-AM Today Today, NewsRadio 980 WMFL is the largest News Department in the United States. NewsRadio 980 WMFL also get's very high ratings in these past 25-30 years. NewsRadio 980 WMFL won a emmy award for "Excellence in Reporting", a Peabody award for "Excellence in Investigate Reports", a duPont-Columbia award for "Best News Team" & a Edward R. Murrow award for "Overall Excellence". Beacuse of all of these awards, NewsRadio 980 WMFL will continue as a All-News station. NewsRadio 980 WMFL can also be heard on WMFL-FM-HD-2 & on WSFT-FM-HD-2 on HD Radio receivers